The Understanding
by Kereea
Summary: Katara is grabbed by Jet. And it might take someone who understands Sokka’s rage to help free her. No pairings. Watch Sokka and everyone's favorite masked spirit try and get along! No pairings.
1. Chapter 1, the capture

**Chapter 1; A Different Capture**

Prince Zuko grinned, this was his chance. The Avatar and his water-tribe friends were in a clearing, and were about to fall asleep. His dark ninja outfit was almost invisible in the bush shadows. As he settled down to wait though, a dark haired boy ambushed the trio.

"JET!" shrieked the girl, and a few more boys jumped out of nowhere. The Avatar and the water-tribe boy started to try and fight the group off, accidentally leaving the girl for the boy called Jet.

"Hello my dear," he said and grabbed her. The water-tribe boy yelled, "Keep your hands off my sister!" as the girl struggled. Zuko sympathized; he hated it when boys used to hit on his sister, Zula. Jet just smirked and, still holding the girl, grabbed a line and ascended into the trees. The girl's brother tried to go after them, but was grabbed by a huge boy, and let out a cry of depression, and Zuko really couldn't take it. He groaned and was suddenly glad that he was wearing his ninja suit. He picked up his mask and slid it into place.

"Let go of me!" yelled the water-tribe boy, and then kicked the huge boy again. Zuko jumped out of the trees.

"Uh, isn't that The Blue Spirit?" asked the huge boy. The archer nodded and said, "Yeah, he's wanted all over by the Fire Nation!"

'The Blue Spirit? Couldn't Zhou put something original on a wanted poster?' Zuko thought dryly. He then said, "Yeah, that's me. Now let them go or face the dire consequences."

"Huh?" asked the huge one. The Avatar took advantage of the distraction and knocked half of the band of boys over with an air attack Zuko then proceeded to free the water-tribe boy from the huge kid.

After the band fled, the Avatar turned to Zuko and said, "I guess I owe you double. And Sokka owes you one. "

"Hey, he's the guy I saw on that wanted poster, the Blue Spirit right?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah," Zuko decided to make up an alias, he hated the whole 'spirit' thing, "but my name's... Zac."

"Zac?" asked the Avatar, and could swear that the mask glared at him, "Oh yeah Zac! Umm, this is Sokka, and you know me."

"We're wasting time! Who knows what that freak will do to my sister?" yelled Sokka, remembering the situation. 'Zac' turned to leave; he had given them a chance to get the girl back. Then he remembered that the avatar had saved him too, so really the score was 2-1. Even though he was still ahead, when he had that mask on, he was compelled to do the right thing. And the avatar doing lemur eyes wasn't helping things. As he was about to refuse though, he saw someone that he _really_ wanted dead.


	2. Chapter 2, Aang gets caught

Yeah, I don't own Avatar, butI own my chair!

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Chapter 2; Aang is Caught

Admiral Zhou smiled and walked through the bushes, "This is my lucky day. The Avatar and Blue Spirit in one place; I'm really going to please Fire Lord Ozai with this."

"Hello! You are outnumbered _and_ outmatched," Sokka said bluntly.

"Who is this again Avatar?" asked Zhou, pointing at Sokka. As Sokka angrily yelled his name at the admiral, 'Zac' attacked the monkey-like firebender and slashed at him with the Dao swords. Aang kept the man in place with air manipulation, and Sokka imitated Zac, using his boomerang like a sword. Zhou retaliated with fiery blasts, and Sokka was surprised to see that these did not seem to concern Zac at all. They always seemed to veer off course at the last second before hitting the masked warrior.

Zhou managed to grab Aang, but the avatar kicked him in the happy place. This was greeted with howls of pain and the firebender running off.

'Zac' turned to Aang and said, "Why did, Jet was it, want Sokka's sister?"

"He and she had a short romance. Then it ended when he tired to free a town of firebender occupation by flooding it."

'Zac' cocked his head, "Who would be free? Everyone would be dead!"

"That's what I said!" Sokka interjected, "but, thanks to me, everyone in the town got out safely."

"So the guy is still obsessed with your sister?"

"Yeah Zac. And my sister's name is Katara," Sokka said, "Now how do we save her?"

"Can you guys save me!" shouted Aang, who was being held and tightly bound by Longshot. Zac and Sokka had been too busy talking to notice.

"Jet said since the Fire Nation wants you alive, you need to be the opposite," the boy said dully. Then there was a flurry of smoke. Aang was gone.

"Aang!" yelled Sokka.

Before he realized he had, Zac yelled, "AVATAR!" Sokka stared at him and stuttered, "Y-you s-ound-d j-just l-l-like Z-Zuko."

"I know, I am," he said and removed his mask. Sokka stared like an idiot for a minute, then threw his boomerang. Zuko caught it and twirled it carelessly in his hand as he said, "Now, seeing as how I know that this is important to you, so if you want it back, you're going to listen."

"I'm not helping you catch Aang!"

"That's rather obvious Sokka. But let's review the facts. One, the avatar and Katara, _your sister_, are being held by a group of what appear to be semi-crazed boys. Two, they apparently want to kill Aang, something neither of us wants. And three, we need to rescue Aang and your sister," Zuko stated as he watched Sokka seethe with anger. Zuko knew the feeling well.

Sokka glared at Zuko suspiciously, "Why do you want to rescue my sister?"

"You're not the only one with a little sister."

"You have a sister? Holy cow, you don't seem the type to have a sibling."

"Shut it water-boy. I always hated it when boys hit on my sister, Zula, and she was voluntary in it. Do you have any idea how mad that makes someone? Well I think you're a little better off, at least Katara dislikes, maybe hates, Jet. You won't have to try and break them up."

"HE STILL HAS MY SISTER!" Sokka yelled, deciding Zuko was a good enough target for rage, "WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT FREAK WILL DO, AND I NEED TO GET HER BACK BEFORE HE DOES IT!"

Zuko still looked impassive, "Fine, we'll do a little sibling-recon. On one condition."

"What sort of condition?" Sokka asked suspiciously.

Zuko pulled his mask on, "That you and your friends will act as though this never happened, it won't change a thing after it's over."

"So you'll just go back to chasing Aang?"

"Yes, the truce is only momentary. I'll give you all an hour or two's head start; then I'm right on your tails again."

Sokka stared at Zuko's extended hand. He knew that this was an okay enough deal, so shook and said, "Fine, truce. Now give me back my boomerang!"

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R&R please, I need some suggestions!


	3. Chapter 3 I got stuck with the idiot

I don't own avatar. never did.

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Chapter 3, I Got Stuck With the Idiot

"Now," asked Zuko, "Do you have a plan?"

"Um, no Zac."

Zuko whipped around, and Sokka swore that the mask looked shocked. "Did you just call me Zac?" the firebender asked.

Sokka shrugged, "Yeah, well calling someone I'm working with Zuko is really weird, so I'm calling you Zac. Besides, if that admiral guy hears us talking, he won't know it's you, right Zac?"

'Must not kill the imbecile,' Zuko thought firmly, 'Must not kill him. GAH! Of that whole group of three, I'm stuck with the idiot! Why me?'

"Zac?" Sokka asked, and waved is hand in front of the mask, "Hello, anyone home?"

"Yeah, whatever," 'Zac' said dryly, "Now, seeing as how you knew those crazy guys, you must have a slight idea where they are."

"Yeah, I remember their exact location."

"So? Which way? And why do you look close to tears?"

Sokka grinned, "Nobody's ever asked me 'which way' before. It fells good."

'Zac' stopped and stared at Sokka. "Aren't you in charge?" he asked.

"No, Aang is. He's the avatar with the dumb magic junk."

"Bending isn't magic!" Zac yelled. Sokka rubbed his ear and said, 'You sound just like Katara. OH MY GOSH! THOSE GUYS STILL HAVE KATARA!"

"Yes, seeing as how we haven't found them yet,' Zac stated, but Sokka kept yelling, "WE'VE GOT TO GO SAVE HER! AND WHY ARE YOU JUST GRINNING LIKE THAT! IS THIS FUNNY TO YOU?"

"You idiot, my mask has a grin design, trust me, I'm not smiling."

"YOU HAD BETTER NOT BE!"

'This must be how Uncle feels when I get really mad,' Zac thought, 'I never realized how it fells to have someone yell at you before."

"Why are you just standing there?" Sokka asked, "We've got to save Katara and Aang. So come on!"

Zac rolled his eyes under the mask, but followed the idiot's lead. Sokka stopped at a tree and said, "We need to climb up here. If we scale the trees nearer to the camp, we'll be in trouble."

They both pulled out daggers and used them to scale the tree, almost forgetting whom they were climbing with. Almost.

"Nice place," muttered Zac as they reached the treetop camp, "And just think, no adult assistance. They're dedicated."

"Yeah, to wiping out villages," Sokka muttered, "Come on, let's find Aang and Katara."

There was a crash from a nearby hut. Both boys glanced at each other and said, "There."

-In the hut-

"Come on Kat, I love you," Jet semi-pleaded. Katara bolted away again and yelled, "Don't you call me Kat!"

"KEEP AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" yelled Sokka, who jumped in through the window opening. Zac followed in a disinterested manner, and walked over to Katara. He said, "You might want to leave, this is going to get ugly."

"Who are you? Did Sokka meet another chauvinist and decide he needed help beating Jet?"

Zac grabbed her shoulders, "Listen! You go find Aang; we'll deal with Mr. Rebel here."

"How do you know Aang's name?" Katara asked, and she grabbed a rope and swung to another tree.

"You don't want to know," Zac muttered as he returned to Jet and Sokka. 'I'll let Sokka do as much by himself as possible,' he thought, 'this is his fight.'

There was another loud crashing; apparently Katara had found Aang, just as Smellerbee burst in on the fight.

"JET!" he yelled, "We've got firebenders! Loads of them!"

"Oh man!' groaned Sokka, "They must have followed us here!"

"I should've known Zhou wouldn't give up so easily!" hissed Zac, as he used some rope he had found to tie up Jet and Smellerbee, "Come on, we've got to find Katara and Aang, NOW!"

As they dropped from the trees, Sokka gasped at the destruction. Zac easily put out the remaining fire, and Sokka found Longshot stuck under a fallen log. The boy glared at him as Sokka pulled him free, and handed him a slip of paper.

"The fire-guy said it was for the Blue Spirit," Longshot muttered. Zac tied up the rest of the band and came over. He read the note.

_To The Blue Spirit, Zac, or whomever you are,_

_Hello, if you are reading this, then I am long gone. The Avatar and Water-Tribe girl are with me. You have no hope of rescuing them. By the time you even catch up I shall be presenting them to the Fire Lord._

"No," muttered Sokka, "We have to find them, but it's hopeless!"

His ally turned to him, "Oh, you have no hope if you're being helped by Zac," he said, and slipped off his mask, "but you have plenty if you're being aided by Zuko."


End file.
